About Alexander

Alexander Alekseev is an active member of the Russian LUG since 2007. Linguist by education, he believes that LEGO pieces are the most effective mean of self-expression and communication between people.

Posts by Alexander

A mini copy of the giant model of a nano iron crystal

The latest landmark build by Ben Vijle is a peculiar LEGO creation. You see, it’s a 1:600 copy of the world-famous Atomium located in Brussels, Belgium. And while the Atomium itself is an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, Ben’s model is roughly 275 million times larger than an actual crystal. I bet this is the biggest LEGO iron molecule you’ve ever seen!

And it’s not just remarkable for its scale; it is also full of brilliant building techniques. The whole venue is an excellent example of how to decorate and present a LEGO architecture creation. Obviously, Ben had tons of fun devising all the various trees along the alley, and I’m applauding the genius use of minifigure hair brushed in green. It’s such a neat build, and I wish we got something similar one day as an official LEGO set.

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New LEGO Super Heroes Marvel sets revealed including a 380-piece buildable Iron Man action figure

The first four LEGO Super Heroes Marvel sets were revealed today. The new 2022 wave will bring three smaller armored mechs as well as a brand new buildable Iron Man action figure. All the sets are to be available starting January 1, 2022. Check out all the pictures in our overview.

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A road warrior from Australia

I honestly have no idea why Vladimir Drozd decides to decorate his latest Mack truck with a Greek warrior’s helmet, but I find it hilarious. For me, this little touch gives the vehicle some great character and helps to draw attention from the truck’s suspiciously clean look. The thing is, I just don’t believe Australian trucks this neat exist. Weathering is never easy when building with LEGO, but a couple of patches of dust and sand here and there could really elevate the model’s look.

Apart from the look that is a bit too plain, the truck is fantastic on the scale. The shaping of the front makes the Mack instantly recognizable, and the fuel tank is a perfect choice of an add-on.

Would you press a button for me, please?

You don’t need to be claustrophobic to dislike elevators: they are poky, boring, and often painfully slow. But it doesn’t stop there. Depending on where you are going, an elevator ride can be much more unbearable. Look at this industrial-grade platform built by shiu. Although this diorama isn’t very tall, the combination of smooth panels creates a perfect impression of a facility buried hundreds of feet beneath the ground. And take a close look at the minifigures — I love how they tell a piece of the story unfolding there. Any ideas what happened… or is about to happen?

There are rally cars, and then there is Lancia

As a little kid, I was so confused with how people could tell all the sports cars apart: they are all red, look sleek and drive super fast! How do you know which one is which without looking at the logo? As it turned out, all the iconic cars are actually so different, you need no more than 8 LEGO studs in width to capture a unique character. And this is exactly what Jerry Builds Bricks did with the lovely Lancia Stratos.

A 5-year-old me would not believe it if I told myself I could instantly recognize Lancia just in a straight row of curved slopes and the iconic headlights. And as an adult LEGO builder, I appreciate how the bulky Speed Champions canopy is fitted here. If only this small model had working suspension…

LEGO Technic 42131 Cat D11 Bulldozer [Review]

Like the latest ridiculously expensive smartphones, LEGO Technic flagship sets make you consider one question: is it worth upgrading? Same prices, same play features, and, maybe, a couple of new tricks to show off. This fall it’s all about the new LEGO Technic 42131 Cat D11 Bulldozer: 3,854 pieces, four motors, a bunch of new pieces, and a price tag of US $449.99 | CAN $549.99 | UK £419.99. Is the set worth upgrading from the reigning king 42100 Liebherr R 9800 Excavator? Let’s build and play with one and see what it has to offer.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read on for the full review

LEGO Ideas First 2021 review are in: three new products are coming [News]

Today, LEGO Ideas reveals the results of the most recent review. In case you missed it, the Review Board had to evaluate a whopping 57 projects, including ideas based on sitcoms, fairy tales, and even some unusual concepts. According to the announcement published on the blog, there is great news about three projects, one from each of the mentioned categories.

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Harvesting honey on Epsilon IV

What is the most valuable resource in the deep space? Fuel? Galaxy credits? How about honey? According to this cute vignette by Andreas Lenander, you won’t be able to harvest honey so far from Earth without a cube element from LEGO VIDIYO sets. Indeed, the piece looks awesome inside this hangar with its semi-transparent effect. I know the clutch power of LEGO bricks is great, but I’d better seal the edges with some spare stickers… just in case.

Let your livery do the talking

You may hate stickers, but, oh boy, you should never underestimate them. With his latest vic viper, Huw Gwilliam shows us a masterclass in giving a spaceship a classy outfit. Since it’s a render, I’m happy to see Huw not being limited by the shapes and colors of the livery. It’s amazing how much volume do the stickers add to the build, making it much more complicated than the pieces could on the same scale.

Who said grand stations can’t be cozy?

Spanish LEGO fan-builder Lepralego builds one of the cozies LEGO city corner I’ve seen. And it’s not a flower shop or a family restaurant (which are cozy per se), but a railways station, and a grand one! I adore the way the buildings include all the architectural elements of larger versions while fitting in such a tiny corner. Using rail curves for the station’s roof isn’t new, but it suits the whole build so well. And with all the other excellent piece combinations, I would totally still this diorama for my own LEGO city.

Kneel before the queen

Moko’s Hornet Queen is surely one of my favorite LEGO creations from the past week. And in this case, I can’t decide what I like about it more: the character or the execution. Maybe it’s the posture and the fancy haircut? Or an alien-looking “backpack” in the shape of a giant hornet on her back? For sure, this design can brag some great piece combinations which I only noticed after a very close look.

The most adorable eyes on the whole beach

I won’t tell you what came to Matt Goldberg‘s mind first: this tiny adorable crab in white or the way to use a snail shell piece from Belville. The way the shell fits this crab is amazing; I particularly love the piece’s asymmetrical shape, which gives the crab a uniquely natural feel. While the crab itself isn’t extraordinary, I guess it’s more than enough for this build. Clean and neat, I wouldn’t ever agree to take it apart!